


Secrets

by Littlegoaliejk3



Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types, Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-16
Updated: 2018-11-16
Packaged: 2019-08-24 09:55:13
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,583
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16637723
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Littlegoaliejk3/pseuds/Littlegoaliejk3
Summary: Why would someone from the Capitol choose to join the rebellion? For Cressida, it was because she knew a certain victor from District 7. Spoilers for the series.Cressida x Johanna Mason bromance type thing back story. I had an idea and it won’t go away… I haven’t read the books in ages so apologies if they’re kinda OOC.





	1. Part 1

“Why vines?” Katniss asked Cressida as they walked back to District 13. “Your tattoos, I mean." 

Cressida stared for a second wondering if it was genuine curiosity or something else. She shook her head at her own paranoia, of course it was genuine curiosity from the Mockingjay, what else would it be? 

"I’ve always been intrigued by vines. They can grow outwardly on their own, but often are blocked from sunlight by trees so they tend to form a symbiotic relationship with trees so they can obtain adequate sunlight. Additionally, vines insert new minerals into the ground which helps the trees grow. Hence both able to continue life and grow and improve intertwined together. Anyway, my work is completely dependent on the actions of others. After all, what use is film if there is nothing to show the world?” Cressida explained before wondering why she was bothering to hide the truth. 

Katniss nodded still somewhat confused and wondered if there was more to it or if she simply didn’t understand yet another aspect of Capitol fashion.

Cressida stopped by the hospital wing in District 13 more times than she could count. Many stops for filming. But this felt different. 

Well duh kid, cause it is different. She couldn’t help thinking in the voice of her old friend bringing a small smile to her face.

“Hey.” She spoke softly as she approached the bed. Cressida couldn’t help staring as she stood in the doorway. She knew she should have come by sooner, but hadn’t plucked up the courage until Katniss had questioned her earlier in the day.

Stop staring. It’s rude. Cressida shook her head with a smile at the imagined voice.

“Sorry I haven’t been by since you…” She trailed off not knowing how to phrase it. Her emotions making it difficult to find the right words.

Not knowing what else to say, Cressida settled for sitting in the chair next to Johanna Mason. Staring at her unconscious friend and making sure she was in fact still breathing. After a long moment, she gently took hold of Johanna’s hand rubbing her thumb across her knuckles. Cressida sat silently beside Johanna for the entire night before sneaking back to her quarters.

She had decided that since Johanna had insisted that no one knew of their friendship, it was up to Johanna whether it was to remain a secret while in District 13. So until she woke up, Cressida would maintain the illusion that the only reason she joined the rebellion was that she, like everyone else, had been inspired by the Mockingjay.

Cressida was born and raised in the Capitol. She loved watching television. The Hunger Games was her favorite show. 

When Johanna Mason won the 69th Hunger Games, Cressida fell in love. While she loved the games, she couldn’t help but think the show was getting repetitive. The Victor’s were predictable. 

But Johanna was different. No one thought she had a chance. Everyone wondered how she had managed to achieve a score of 4 in her trials. Everyone assumed it was a pity score. An attempt to increase her potential sponsors, to give her the tiniest of chances.

Johanna spent the majority of her games hiding. No one was surprised that the girl from 7 had managed to hide in the trees. No one was surprised when she was able to forage for food and find edible plants. It was a shock that she managed to survive for so long. But she made it to the final 8.

Cressida was so drawn in by the story of the small girl from District 7. Her father died in a tragic lumber accident. Something about cables snapping and trees falling in the wrong place. A familiar story of tributes from 7. Her father was well liked so they let Johanna work in the same role as him. Not very successful but she needed the money to support her sick mother and younger sister. It was the riskiest of jobs and required the strongest and smartest but they took pity on the Mason family and they let Johann work with them. Such an inspiring story. Many wanted to support Johanna but no one thought she would survive so she did not receive sponsors. She had many fans but no sponsors.

With only 6 tributes remaining, Johanna procured an ax by scavenging off of another dead tribute and everyone laughed. Cressida definitely thought it was pathetic seeing such a small girl struggle to lift her weapon of choice. They all laughed at her strategy; many yelling that the weight would slow her down and what a dumb decision it had been.

Then the Gamemakers struck. The final battle ensued and Johanna came out victorious successfully taking out her final three tributes in the finale. It had been amazing. The best plot twist Cressida had ever seen. 

Cressida loved it. Without a doubt, Johanna was her favorite victor ever. The girl from seven. The small girl with the ax. She had all the movies, books and posters featuring Johanna Mason.

In the weeks leading up to the 71st Hunger Games, Johanna Mason comes over for dinner. One of the perks of having parents in the higher ranks of the Capitol. Johanna may have been old news at that point, but not to Cressida who could barely hide her excitement.

\--------------------------------

ORIGINALLY POSTED ON MY TUMBLR DECEMBER 16, 2014


	2. Part 2

Cressida knew this was a bad idea. The Quarter Quell was in the morning and Johanna needed sleep. But she just had to see her.

To tell her….something. And that’s how she found herself dressed in all black with a baseball cap and hood to cover her face. She knew where the blind spots were in the surveillance system as she had helped create them. She made sure to keep off camera as much as possible. She knocked on the door and hoped Johanna would be the one to answer it.

“What are you doing here?” Johanna whispered urgently pulling Cressida in, hiding her from the cameras the best she could. 

“I…” Cressida managed to breathe out. Before pulling her into a hug. “Don’t be stupid…we’ll get you out.” She managed to whisper into her ear.

Johanna didn’t say a word as they pulled apart. Johanna was well aware that Cressida was part of the rebellion. She had passed along her name to Plutarch. They needed all the help they could get and Johanna had come to respect Cressida. The look on Johanna’s face made Cressida’s stomach drop.

“Get out of here, kid. You’ll be useless if you’re found out.” Johanna said letting go of Cressida completely. 

“Please.” Cressida pleaded looking her in the eye. “We…I…I’ll get you out.” She repeated. Johanna held her head gently before kissing her on the forehead.

“Go.” Johanna said gently pushing her out the door.

“Give them hell, kid.” Johanna whispered as Cressida was walking away. She turned to see if she had imagined the words only to see the door closing behind her. 

After leaving the Capitol with as much footage and equipment as she could manage, Cressida found herself interrogated in District 13 before being given a shower and a room. She finally had some time to herself. 

Johanna had been saying goodbye. And the realization hit Cressida like a ton of bricks as she laid in bed.

Unfortunately, things did not get better for her. In the aftermath, they had come to realize that Johanna had survived, and as far as they could tell she had been captured by the Capitol.

Cressida threw herself into her work, but every night she was in her compartment by herself and her nightmares mostly consisted of Johanna Mason begging for death in the depths of the Capitol. 

Cressida was included in a confidential conference and was curious what it was about when she saw the other people there. It was no surprise to see President Coin, Plutarch Heavensbee, Finnick Odair and Beetee. She was a bit surprise to see Gale Hawthorne and the exclusion of Katniss Everdeen also surprised her since Cressida was there and following Katniss around had generally been her mission.

President Coin announced the rescue mission going into the Capitol. Everyone nodded in agreement when she announced the rescue of Peeta Mellark, no one was surprised by that. Finnick lit up when Annie Cresta had been mentioned and many others exchanged confused looks.

Cressida nodded that Peeta’s rescue was inevitable and rescuing another victor couldn’t hurt the rebellion even if Annie’s usefulness was….questionable, but her reunion with Finnick would be great to see. As far as she was concerned, no one deserved to remain a prisoner in the Capitol. 

When she looked back on this moment, Cressida owed it to her lack of quality sleep for her delay. Long after the initial announcement of the rescue, Plutarch was going through where they believed the prison cells to be that Cressida had a moment of realization.

“What about Jo?” Cressida interrupted barely loud enough for all in the room to hear. "…Johanna Mason.“ She finishes awkwardly.

"What was that?” President Coin replied coldly.

“Johanna Mason.” Cressida repeated louder and more firmly.

“She got Katniss out. If she hadn’t cut of the Mockingjay’s tracker, we never would have gotten her out. Johanna wants to bring down the Capitol as much as anyone else. Surely we’re going to be getting her out as well.” Cressida finished feeling terrified as President Coin stared her down.

“We will continue this later.” President Coin spoke to the rest of the room.

“Cressida.” President Coin said motioning for her to follow into the office.

“I understand that Johanna Mason played a pivotal part in the rescue. And her appearance would make an appealing propo. I do not believe her rescue is worth the cost of getting her out. As you have probably realized, our resources are limited and must be used in the most efficient way possible.”

“But if we’re going into the Capitol for Peeta Mellark; shouldn’t we make an effort for Johanna Mason as well? I mean we’re going after Annie Cresta who isn’t of much use.” Cressida replied barely masking her anger. “Johanna was pivotal in the rescue. Don’t we owe it to her to get her out?”

President Coin narrowed her eyes and Cressida couldn’t help but flinch. Had she revealed too much? She didn’t care. Johanna Mason deserved better than to be left in the hands of President Snow and whatever sadistic punishment he could imagine.

“Cressida, I thought you would understand more than anyone that the reunion between Katniss and Peeta would bring great resonance to the rebellion and push it forward. As would the happiness of the Capitol golden boy, Finnick O'Dair. The rescue of Johanna Mason while cathartic for some is not of much value. District 7 is already rebelling.”

Cressida stared in astonishment in response. President Coin was as bad as President Snow in her disregard for humanity. They were all chess pieces helping her achieve her goals. Or perhaps it was the strain of war and not any indication of any sort. After all, she had flourished in the Capitol so who was she to judge which was worse? 

“Johanna Mason is a hero. That would also play very well for our viewers.” Cressida replied after taking a long moment to compose herself. “An inspiration to us all. A victor who won by tricking the Capitol and fooled us all. She suffered in the hands of the Capitol and her stories will reveal much of the Capitol’s darkness and provide an inspiration to anyone hesitating to join us.”

President Coin appeared to consider this for a moment before replying.

“I’ll take it into consideration.” President Coin replied before dismissing Cressida suddenly.

Cressida walked down the hall in shock. She had no idea if President Coin would cave, but hoped she would. She was deep in thought that she didn’t notice Finnick Odair glaring at her as she passed and certainly didn’t notice him following her until he shoved her into a nearby supply closet. 

“Why are you really here?” Finnick said angrily standing a little too close for comfort. Cressida was still too surprised by what was going on to respond.

“A Capitol socialite fighting for the rebellion. It makes for a great story. And you’ve been an excellent storyteller. You’re films are beautiful. Very inspiring.” Finnick said angrily his words confusing Cressida as she still didn’t understand why he had cornered her.

“But let’s get one thing clear. I don’t care that President Coin loves and values your work. I don’t care. She is a fellow Victor. And my friend. And I won’t let you use her to advance your career.”

Cressida felt the air leave her lungs as she suddenly understood what he was talking about. 

“I care about her. Apparently more than you do!” Cressida exclaimed.

“You can’t even say her name. Johanna Mason. Johanna is a prisoner in the Capitol. The Capitol that watched her cut out Katniss’s tracker so that we could have our Mockingjay. And we are sending in soldiers to get prisoners out and she is somehow not on that list. Some friend you are." Cressida said angrily before taking a shaky breath.

Finnick blinked and looked surprise for a second. He took a small step back as a realization came to him.

"You’re the Capitol brat?” He replied softly his. It more of a statement than a question. 

Cressida couldn’t do anything more than stare in surprise. When she finally gathered herself, she opened her mouth to question him further but was cut off when Finnick gently held her shoulders with both hands and looked her in the eye.

“I…I care too. I just…It hurts to care….” Finnick paused looking over her shoulder. If she were to guess, he was thinking of what Johanna was going through. And was struggling to find the right words. He shook his head quickly before finishing.

“Trust me, if I could have convinced President Coin to rescue both of them, I would have.” He finished giving her shoulder a squeeze before letting go.

Finnick gave Cressida a small smile she struggled to decipher. He gave a quick nod before exiting leaving Cressida standing in shock.

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Originally posted on my tumblr DECEMBER 29, 2014


	3. Part 3

In the weeks leading up to the 71st Hunger Games, Johanna Mason comes over for dinner. One of the perks of having parents in the higher ranks of the Capitol. Johanna may have been old news at that point, but not to Cressida who could barely hide her excitement.

Cressida looked at herself in the mirror. She wasn’t wearing exactly what she wanted as her mother needed to approve her wardrobe for special occasions, such as a visit from a Victor. She wanted to wear District 7 inspired clothing, but her mother wouldn’t allow her to wear her favorite Johanna Mason fashions. But she found ways to honor Johanna Mason with her choices. She wore a bright green short dress and wore her brunette wig to match Johanna’s hair and some authentic District 7 jewelry she had purchased, some made out of actual wood and others in the shape of trees and an ax. She wore as little make-up as her mother would accept as “presentable.”

Cressida nearly ran to the front door when Johanna arrived. A stern look from her mother stopped her in her tracks when she entered the foyer at a near sprint. 

Johanna entered with her trademark smirk wearing a body length dark green dress. She would later call it “forest green” so named by her stylist she would later explain with an eye roll.

Her mother commented that Johanna “certainly cleans up beautifully.” And her father would remark that the “cameras don’t do you justice” with his eyes lingering on her figure. Johanna suppressed a shiver at their gaze and continued her faux smile.

Before dinner, they made polite conversation. Johanna sat between her parents on the couch as Cressida sat in a comfortable chair hanging on her every word. Most of it small talk regarding other Victors.

Johanna had some entertaining stories of Capitol elite taking her to many events. Cressida would later recall how tired Johanna looked and how many drinks she consumed throughout the night.

Cressida stared in awe at the presence of her hero, her idol. But as the night wore on, the awe faded quickly. Johanna laughed at the worst of her father’s jokes and smiled as her mother told stories of her friends in the Capitol. Johanna shared some stories of her own often including other victors such as Finnick Odair. Johanna was polite. The smiles certainly weren’t genuine, but they lacked the defiant fire in her voice and her sarcasm seemed more tame than in many of her interviews. 

After dinner, Cressida was dismissed suddenly and sent to her room. She had a hard time sleeping as she processed the odd turn of events.

That was not the Johanna Mason she had fallen in love with. She was….polite. This is not the girl who fooled everyone into thinking she was weak. The one with fire in her eyes in the exit interview who more or less told the world to fuck off. Johanna looked much older. More tired in the eyes. And far too compliant and….friendly.

Cressida gave up on sleep after a couple of hours and got up to walk around the house to clear her head. Something she had always done. There was no risk of waking her parents as the house was so large she could avoid wandering by their room.

As she passed the stairs, Cressida thought she saw some light flickering at the bottom of the stairs. As she got closer to the bottom, she heard…crackles. Feeling nervous in spite of the massive security system in place, she grabbed an umbrella and entered the room holding it up as a weapon. She entered to see Johanna Mason standing at her full height holding the fire poker at her as if it were a sword. Her face unreadable, her body language taught, ready for a fight. They stared for a long second before Johanna rolled her eyes and turned back to the roaring fire she had been tending in the massive fireplace.

“You can go back to bed now, kid. Don’t worry I won’t burn down your mansion.” Johanna deadpanned.

Cressida lowered the umbrella and walked closer. She noticed Johanna’s hair was…shorter than it had been earlier. Her trademark short brown hair was wet. Cressida paused for a moment before feeling dumb. Johanna had been wearing a wig. Of course.

“You look better like this.” Cressida said dumbly. She meant both the fact that she was wearing loose pants with a loose flannel button down. She seemed to be standing taller, more confident, but more relaxed at the same time. She had washed off the Capitol make-up which more closely matched how she looked during and after her games.

“Was there something you needed, kid?”

“ No….I just…..what happened to you?”

“I’ve changed.”

“Well, yeah. You used to be more…I dunno…something.”

Johanna let out a humorless laugh.

“And here I thought all you Capitol brats were good with words. Something about being proper.” Johanna finished feigning a terrible Capitol accent. Cressida smiled at the insult, this was the Johanna Mason she loved.

“So you don’t like the Capitol?” Cressida asked dumbly. Johanna gave her a side eyed glance before returning to the fire in front of her. “But you spend a lot of time here.” Cressida finished, it was more of a question than a statement and Johanna gave the smallest of nods.

“Don’t you miss your family? Your mom and sister must miss you so much. I mean you’ve been spending so much ti–” Cressida stopped mid-sentence when she noticed Johanna’s expression darken.

“They’re better off with me here.” Johanna said sharply after Cressida stopped suddenly.

“But don’t they miss you? You miss them?”

“It’s hard to go home after they saw me kill in the games. Everyone knows I had to to survive….and I can’t take the looks…”

“I’m sure they love you….it…it’ll just take time. All of the Victor’s go through an adjustment period.”

Johanna gave her an incredulous look.

“Yeah, I’m sure you know all about that.” Johanna replied sarcastically. “My dad died a fire and brother fell while working on some tree tops, both ‘accidents.’ My mom is barely surviving and my sister doesn’t talk to me. But they’re better off if Snow thinks I don’t give a damn. But you’re right it’s just an ‘adjustment period.’ Learning not to say no.”

Cressida gaped at her for a long second.

“Go to bed, kid. I’ve already said too much.” Johanna said. Cressida took the dismissal and left to over think what Johanna had revealed.

Cressida was reeling the rest of the night. Johanna Mason didn’t have a father or brother. She knew from the Games. Cressida knew Johanna’s story by heart. She provided for her mother and sister. Working as a lumberjack, traditionally male work because it paid better. She couldn’t do much, but they let her keep the job out of pity. That was her story…that was what the Capitol had said….wasn’t it?

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Originally Posted on my Tumblr MAY 14, 2015


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